Sharing the road with large trucks -- also known as Mack trucks, eighteen-wheelers, tractor-trailers and semis -- makes many drivers of passenger cars nervous. Unfortunately, those drivers are right to be wary. A crash between a passenger car and a large commercial truck almost always results in death or serious injury to the people in the car, simply because large trucks are so much larger and heavier. That greater weight means the truck brings many times more force to the accident than a car, enabling it to crush the smaller vehicle -- and anyone inside. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a full 83% of those killed in fatal trucking accidents were people outside of the truck.

Like all drivers, truckers and their trucking companies have a legal duty to take reasonable care on the road. Unfortunately, the pressures of the trucking industry sometimes win out over safety. To meet tight deadlines, truckers may be encouraged to falsify their sleep and work logs, drive in unsafe weather or abuse drugs to stay awake. Trucking companies whose first priority is profit may send their drivers out with faulty or badly maintained equipment, unsafe loads or even false commercial driver's licenses.

These irresponsible choices put the innocent drivers around them in serious danger. When they result in a trucking accident, victims can and should hold them responsible in a court of law. In a trucking accident lawsuit, victims can win payment for their medical and funeral expenses and compensation for a wrongful death, serious injury or severe physical and emotional pain.

If you or someone you care about was hurt or killed in a large truck accident, Suthers & Thompson would like to help. To tell us your story and learn more about your legal rights at a FREE consultation, contact us today at 1-800-320-2384 or contact us online through our confidential evaluation form.